Specialty clothing designed to hold portable electronic devices

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates generally to clothing and more specifically to garments designed and customized to securely restrain portable electronic devices. The clothing has at least one pocket that may be specifically sized to a known electronic device shape or may be adjustable to devices of various shapes to provide a snug, secure and, safe environment for the electronic device and any electronic device accessories. The pocket also may contain a channel leading from the pocket to one or more openings near the top of the garment to allow for access to headphones. Further, channels may lead from one pocket to one or more additional pockets to allow for interconnectivity between an electronic device and an electronic device accessory. The internal channels may also contain a strap to secure wires associated with a portable electronic device or accessory in place.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to clothing and more specifically to garments designed and customized to securely restrain portable electronic devices.

2. Background of the Invention

Portable electronic devices are increasingly popular, with the family of Apple iPod® devices becoming almost ubiquitous. Portable electronic devices come in a variety of models, shapes and sizes. For example, presently there are four different iPod® models in the iPod® family, the iPod®, the iPod mini™, the iPod nano®, and the iPod shuffle™. While the popularity of electronic devices span the entire demographic spectrum, they are most popular with young adults and teenagers, who tend to be the most physically active in their daily lives. This is the same group that would be most likely to carry their devices with them all day long, whether at school, at work, playing sports, or exercising in the gym.

Presently, there are only a limited number of ways that a person can carry an electronic device with them without holding it in his or her hands. The majority of these ways require the electronic device to be attached to some form of a band, whether they are arm bands or waistbands. In other words, the current ways require a person to strap the electronic device to some part of their body. However, not everyone wants to attach an electronic device via a band to their arm, waist, or leg. They may consider it unsightly, or it may restrict their movement in some way, or in extreme cases can constrict the blood flow to the appendage on which the band is attached.

As for the remaining ways, in the form of cases, bags, purses, backpacks or loose pockets, they serve to only protect the electronic device from environmental damage but do not make the players readily accessible and do not offer a conformed receptacle to securely hold the electronic device which can lead to damage to the device from other items being carried in the case, bag, etc.

Another problem with present solutions for holding devices is that the electronic devices use headphones that attached to the player via a wire. The headphone wire can become tangled, impede free movement of the user, and can be unappealing to the eye.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a carrying solution for different models of electronic devices, such as a member of the iPod® family, and is designed to overcome the above stated problems, drawbacks and deficiencies.

The present invention provides a carrying solution for different models of electronic devices without occupying the user's hands, legs or other element of his or her body.

Further, the present invention provides a carrying solution for headphones, and their wires, associated with electronic devices which overcomes the issues of connecting the headphones to the player.

Further, the present invention provides a solution for securing headphone or accessory wires, such as from an iTrip® FM transmitter, within the carrying solution to prevent them from becoming loose within the invention when no player is present.

These and other objects of the present invention are obtained in connection with a novel class of clothing which may be worn as described herein. The various embodiments of such clothing share the common attribute that a pocket for accepting various portable electronic devices and/or electronic device accessories is sewn or otherwise embodied within the article of clothing. The clothing is easily manufactured and the pockets may be deployed in various configurations to accept and retain a wide variety of portable electronic devices and/or portable electronic device accessories. Further, the pockets are designed to provide a secure and snug fit around the device to lessen movement during various activities such as exercising. The pockets also contain a specially configured channel for accepting and routing wires and cords associated with portable electronic devices and/or portable electronic device accessories to an opening from which the headphones emerge.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the clothing of the present invention comprises at least one pocket for accepting and securing a portable electronic device, such as a member of the iPod® family, and/or portable electronic device accessory. In one embodiment, pockets are specifically sized and shaped to accept a particular device or item of known size or shape. In another embodiment of the present invention, pockets are designed to be adjustable to devices and items of various sizes ensuring that all items meeting particular size and shape constraints will fit securely and snugly within the pocket such that movement within the pocket is minimized or eliminated.

These and other advantages and features of the present invention are described herein with specificity so as to make the present invention understandable to one of ordinary skill in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration showing a garment or t-shirt with a pocket sized to fit an iPod® player in a preferred embodiment thereof;

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are illustrations showing a garment with a pocket sized to fit an iPod nano® in another embodiment of the present invention, including a more detailed look at the inside of the pocket;

FIG. 3 is an illustration showing the inside of a pocket depicting the way in which materials are put together according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an illustration showing a garment with a pocket sized to fit an iPod shuffle™ in another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) are illustrations showing some of the possible ways or methods to place the channels from each pocket to the openings at the collar of a t-shirt for access to headphones in one embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 6(a) is an illustration showing a multipurpose garment that can hold different members of the iPod® family and/or iPod® accessories at once according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6(b) is an illustration showing a detailed view of a pocket and its associated access pocket according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6(c) is an illustration showing a detailed view of a pocket can that hold an iPod® accessory according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6(d) is an illustration showing a detailed view of an access pocket according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is an illustration showing a pocket fitted with an insert to seal the access openings in order to conceal the contents inside; and

FIG. 8 is an illustration showing a garment or t-shirt with an inverted pocket sized to fit an iPod® in a preferred embodiment thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is now discussed to provide the reader with a detailed description of the novel garments of the present invention. It will be understood that while the following discussion addresses a number of embodiments and applications of the present invention, the invention is not necessarily limited thereto and other embodiments and applications exist and the present invention is limited only by the claims, and their equivalents, appended hereto.

The named inventor and the present invention are not affiliated with, nor sponsored in any way by, Apple Computer, Inc.

Turning first to FIG. 1, the illustration is showing one of the preferred embodiments of the invention. In a preferred embodiment, FIG. 1 shows shirt 110 having pocket 120 on the left side of the shirt. The garment could also be a jacket, a sweater or any other article of clothing that can hold pockets. The pocket could be located on any other part of the garment that can conceivably hold a pocket such as to the right side, or the center of the garment, or a sleeve or anywhere on the back. Every pocket can be made to fit a particular electronic device such as an iPod®, an iPod nano®, an iPod mini™, an iPod shuffle™ or any other iPod® compatible device that might be desired to be worn such as an iPod® radio control or an iTrip® FM transmitter. How these different devices may be incorporated into clothing and how different pockets can be made to hold such devices will be discussed in greater detail below.

In a preferred embodiment, pocket 120 is made of Neoprene™ so that the iPod® can be held snuggly or tightly to the garment. The pocket can be made of any material including ordinary fabric matching that of the garment and reinforced by any kind of padding in order to protect the iPod®. Pocket 120 has access ports 150 and 160 which may be covered by a transparent or semi-transparent material, such as loosely stitched clear plastic coverings, so that the display and controls of the iPod® may be seen and accessed. In a preferred embodiment access ports 150 and 160 will be substantially the same size as the display and control, respectively, of the iPod® family member contained within pocket 120. The iPod® may be sealed inside the pocket using Velcro® or a similar loop and hook method 140. The pocket can also be sealed using any other variety of forms, such as zippers, snaps, or buttons, in order to properly secure the iPod® device and keep it from falling out. Pocket 120 is connected to opening 130 by channel 170. In a preferred embodiment, opening 130 is in the shape of an eye. This channel will serve as a way to have the headphones connected to the iPod® inside the pocket and be accessible at the opening so that the wire is concealed within the channel 170. This is desirable so that the headphones are protected and the wires remain out of the way and enclosed within the shirt. In a preferred embodiment, the channel will be an internal channel enclosed within the garment or along the inside of the garment. Alternatively, the channel may be an external channel running along the outside surface of the garment. The pocket will be discussed in greater detail below.

Turning now to FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), another embodiment of the invention will be discussed. In this embodiment, FIG. 2(a) shows shirt 210 with alternate pocket locations 220 and 230 depicted by dotted lines. Here, the preferred location for a pocket may be pocket 200. Channel 270 connects pocket 200 to opening 250 for access to earpiece of headphones. Alternative channels 240 and 260 are depicted by dotted lines in order to show different ways to have the wires from the headphones access the access port 250. Such channels can be placed in any way on the garment in order to achieve accessibility and mobility for the wearer. For example, alternate pocket 220 may use alternate channel 260 while alternate pocket 230 may use alternate channel 240.

FIG. 2(b) is a detail view of pocket 200 showing the inside of the pocket. In this embodiment an iPod nano® 205 is shown inside pocket 200. The wire from headphones inside the garment is secured with strap 290 which may be elastic or made from Velcro® or other material that allows for the wire to be secured. This way even if the iPod nano® is removed from pocket 200 and headphones are disconnected, the wire will not be loose inside the garment but held in place for the next time the iPod nano® is placed back inside the pocket. In another embodiment, a wire might be conceived to have multiple connectors, each extended to different pockets in one garment so that each pocket in such garment will be iPod® ready and any type of iPod® will be able to be attached to any pocket, each with a headphones connector inside.

FIG. 3 is a preferred embodiment of a pocket that is fitted for an iPod® with video or photo capabilities. FIG. 3 shows fabric 300 as the back or inside of the garment. This fabric may be of any kind such as cotton or suede or any other kind of fabric that anyone skilled in the art could use for the inside of any garment. Fabric 300 is stitched to fabric 305 which may be of the same fabric or of a different fabric depending on the type of garment for which the pocket will be made for. Fabric 305 is the fabric on the outside of the garment and thus will have two access ports 307 and 320 and opening 306. Access ports 307 and 320 will be covered with some transparent or semi-transparent or clear fabric or material such as a type of plastic. In a preferred embodiment access ports 307 and 320 will be substantially the same size as the iPod® screen and controls, respectively. Pocket opening 306 is used to place the desired sealing device such as Velcro® or loop and hook method or a zipper or buttons or any other conceivable method of sealing a pocket. Between fabrics 305 and 300 two separate layers of Neoprene™ 303 and 304 are stitched together around the edges. Neoprene™ layer 303 is the back of the pocket and therefore only Neoprene™ layer 304 has access ports 307 to allow visual access to an iPod® once inside the pocket. Alternatively, any number of materials may be used in place of Neoprene™ to secure and protect the iPod® or iPod® accessory. Channel 308 allows for a way to place the wire for headphones to be secured inside the garment as discussed above. Again, a strap 310 is used to secure the wire in place.

FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of a dual pocket capable of carrying two different devices. FIG. 4 is a picture of pocket 400 divided into two compartments 410 and 460 by divider 430. The division of the separate compartments can be achieved by stitching or by using a divider such as padding or similar structure. The left side of pocket 410 is designed in this embodiment for an iPod shuffle™, while the right side of pocket 460 is designed in this embodiment for another device such as another iPod®, iPod® accessory, or another device like a PDA. In another preferred embodiment the left and right sides of pocket 400 may be reversed with the right fitted for an iPod shuffle™ and the right side fitted for a different iPod® device or accessory. In another preferred embodiment the pockets may be divided horizontally with one pocket placed above the other pocket. Access port 440 allows for access to the iPod shuffle™. In a preferred embodiment, access port 440 is substantially the same size as the control button interface of the iPod shuffle™ to allow access to its controls.

Next, FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) are illustrations of another embodiment in which there are two openings 530 at the collar of a shirt 510 allowing a two earpiece headphone set to be used with the garment. In this embodiment, a smaller pocket 502 is placed under pocket 560 and over pocket 570. This pocket may be on the inside or the outside of the garment. A pocket such as pocket 502 is discussed in more detail as pocket 605 in FIGS. 6(a)-(d). FIG. 5(a) depicts channel 540 from pocket 502 to collar 501. FIG. 5(b) depicts two channels 550. In a preferred embodiment openings 530 are eye shaped.

FIGS. 6(a), 6(b), 6(c) and 6(d) illustrate another embodiment of the invention consisting of a heavy snow sweater or jacket 600 with channel 601 and multiple pockets 610, 613, and 614. Each one of the pockets has a different particular function which will be discussed in turn. The small sealable access pockets 605 appearing beneath every other pocket on the garment serve as an access to the internal channel revealing wiring in order for the user to be able to enable or disable a particular device on this garment.

Now turning to pocket 614, it is designed to be fitted for an iPod® 603. Pocket 614 also has an access pocket 605 in order to reveal wires that may be placed through channel 601 running from pockets 610 and 613 up the middle of the garment through the collar. This way a device such as a camera may be placed in pocket 613, iPod® 603 with image capabilities in pocket 614 in order to connect them. In this way the wearer or user of the garment may download pictures or messages to be displayed on iPod® 603 by connecting the camera in pocket 613 to the iPod® 603 through channel 601 running from pocket 613 to pocket 614. At the same time, the user can have headphones running from the collar of the garment to iPod® 603 in pocket 614.

FIG. 6(b) is a detail of pocket 614 containing iPod® 603 connected to headphone wire 608. A strap or similar device for maintaining the wire in place via strap 607 can be removed either by a Velcro® or hook and loop method or by a stretchable fabric such as an elastic band. Through access pocket 605, the wearer may detach headphones wire 608 from iPod® 603 by realizing or stretching out strap 607.

Additionally, pocket 613 in FIG. 1 has adjacent to it pocket 610 illustrated as a close-up in FIG. 6(c). Pocket 610 can hold extra wires such as wire 609 for use with a camera and iPod® camera connector 611. Pockets 610 and 613 are interconnected in order to allow the user to either connect the camera to the iPod® in pocket 614 or to a computer using the iPod® camera connector 611. Notice that pathway 601 connects both pockets and is accessible via an access pocket 605. FIG. 6(d) is a close-up of an access pocket 605 and illustrates how these access pockets enable the user to either connect or disconnect different devices by using straps 607 discussed above and shown in this figure.

FIG. 7 illustrates a pocket 700 fitted with a removable padded insert 701 that is placed inside the pocket whenever the user does not wish to use pocket 700. Insert 701 may be made from Neoprene™ or other soft padding that furthers protection. Insert 701 covers the access ports 704 so that the user can conceal the contents of pocket 700. In this illustration, pocket 700 is closed or sealed with Velcro® or hoop and loop method 703. This may be done to one or all pockets so that each pocket not containing a device may be used as a regular pocket and have its contents concealed and secured inside.

In a preferred embodiment, FIG. 8 shows shirt 800 having pocket 810 on the left side of the shirt. The garment could also be a jacket, a sweater or any other article of clothing that can hold pockets. Pocket 810 is in an inverted orientation compared to the pocket 120 in FIG. 1. The pocket could be located on any other part of the garment that can conceivably hold a pocket such as to the right side, or the center of the garment, or a sleeve or anywhere on the back. In a preferred embodiment, pocket 810 is made of Neoprene™ so that the iPod® can be held snuggly or tightly to the garment. The pocket can be made of any material including ordinary fabric matching that of the garment and reinforced by any kind of padding in order to protect the iPod®. Pocket 810 has access ports 830 and 820 which may be covered by a transparent or semi-transparent material, such as loosely stitched clear plastic coverings, so that the display and controls of the iPod® may be seen and accessed. The orientation of pocket 810 allows the garment wearer a right side up view of the iPod® display and controls when looking down at pocket 810. In a preferred embodiment access ports 830 and 820 will be substantially the same size as the display and controls, respectively, of the iPod® family member contained within pocket 810. Pocket 810 is connected to opening 850 by channel 840. In a preferred embodiment, opening 850 is in the shape of an eye. In a preferred embodiment, the channel will be an internal channel enclosed within the garment or along the inside of the garment. Alternatively, the channel may be an external channel running along the outside surface of the garment.

The foregoing disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure. The scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims, and by their equivalents. 

1. A garment fitted to hold a portable music device, comprising: (a) a pocket incorporated into said garment; (b) an opening on a collar of said garment; and (c) a channel adapted to receive a communication link on said garment allowing said portable music device to be connected to said opening though said communication link.
 2. The garment in claim 1 wherein said pocket has at least one access port allowing access to a screen and controls of said portable music device.
 3. The garment in claim 2 wherein said pocket has at least one access port allowing access to a screen and controls of an iPod® family member.
 4. The garment in claim 2 wherein said pocket is made of Neoprene™.
 5. The garment in claim 4 wherein said pocket is a divided dual pocket capable of carrying at least two of said portable electronic devices.
 6. The garment in claim 5 wherein said pocket is fitted for an iPod shuffle™ and an iPod®.
 7. The garment in claim 5 further comprising an additional pocket wherein said additional pocket allows an access to said channel.
 8. The garment of claim 7 wherein said garment is a garment selected from the group consisting of a shirt, jacket, sweater, and sweatshirt.
 9. The garment in claim 8 wherein said opening located on said collar is substantially shaped as a human eye.
 10. The garment of claim 1 wherein said pocket is fitted for an iPod® family member.
 11. The garment in claim 1 wherein said garment contains at least two openings to allow access to a headphone earpiece and said at least two openings are located in said collar of said garment.
 12. The garment in claim 2 wherein said pocket has an insert to conceal said at least one access port.
 13. A garment fitted to hold an iPod® family member, comprising: (a) a pocket with an upper access port and a lower access port incorporated into said garment; and (b) an opening on a collar of said garment.
 14. The garment in claim 13 wherein said upper access port is substantially rectangular and said lower access port is substantially circular.
 15. The garment in claim 13 wherein said upper access port is substantially circular and said lower access port is substantially rectangular.
 16. The garment in claim 14 wherein said upper access port is substantially the same size as a screen of said iPod® family member and said lower access port is substantially the same size as a control of said iPod® family member.
 17. The garment in claim 15 wherein said upper access port is substantially the same size as a control of said iPod® family member and said lower access port is substantially the same size as a screen of said iPod® family member.
 18. The garment in claim 13 wherein said garment has a channel adapted to provide a pathway for a headphone wire.
 19. The garment in claim 13 wherein said pocket is made of Neoprene™.
 20. The garment in claim 13 wherein said pocket is a divided dual pocket capable of carrying at least two members of said iPod® family.
 21. The garment in claim 13 wherein said opening located on said collar is substantially shaped as a human eye.
 22. A pocket fitted to hold a portable music device, comprising: (a) a first access port wherein said first access port is substantially rectangular; and (b) a second access port wherein said second access port is substantially circular.
 23. The pocket in claim 22 wherein said first access port is substantially the same size as a screen of an iPod® family member and said second access port is substantially the same size as a control of an iPod® family member. 